Early Aryan (Brahmanism) 99-104

Religion in the Vedic Age pg. 99 (AK)

Cultural and religious traditions formed as caste system emerged and organized society.
Aryans entered India with beliefs for a mobile and violent society.
These ideas spread, but Aryans encountered new ideas and blended them with their own.
This became foundation for Hinduism.
Faith was very popular in India and some of Southeast Asia for more than 2000 years.
In India, religion reflects the larger society.
Aryans continued to expand into India, pushing into Punjab and further.

Aryan Religion pg. 100, 102, 103, 104 (KV) (SM) (JY) (DH)

polytheistic
reincarnation
Indra- violent, wielder of thunderbolts (led them to battle), associated with rain for crops, god of war.
reflects instability of early Vedic society
Varuna- oversaw behavior of mortals, despised evil deeds & lying, punished with disease & death
similar to heaven & hell: "House of Clay" (hell) "World of the Fathers" (heaven)
ritual sacrifices- expected to be performed frequently by brahmins (no less than 5x a day), "soma" a hallucinogenic mixture to feel powerful & divine inspiration, expected to gain divine support for military success, large families, long life, and abundant herds of cattle
later many turned away from sacrificial cults & changed to focusing on spirituality, "mystics"
mystics gained inspiration from Dravidian religious beliefs
Dravidians worshiped nature spirits.
Karma and samsara represents the relationship between physical incarnation and the realm of ultimate truth and reality.
Those who had heavy burden of karma possibly came back as animal or insect
Wanted moksha which was a deep dreamless sleep after beating reincarnation
goals were asceticism and meditation- leading simple lives without pleasures
Had high ethical standards.
Discouraged greed. Encouraged respect.

Upanishad pg. 101 (EP)

Most disciples were men.
Each person participates in larger cosmic order and forms a small part of a universal soul, known as Brahman.
Souls were born into physical world many times.
Highest goal was to escape cycle of birth and rebirth and enter into permanent union with Brahman.